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April 1958

Just a year after Steve Reeves posed on their April cover, it was Vincent Taffaro's turn to be the Vim magazine cover man in 1958.  In addition to Vim's sexy cover photo of Vincent, today us viewers can also thank Lon of New York for getting Vince to pose in all of his natural masculine beauty.
 

It's widely reported that Vim was one of the classic fitness magazines not totally happy with the explosion of men's physique publications (such as the very popular Grecian Guild) where emphasis was on the beauty of the male.  Publications like Vim began expressing their concerns in editorials.  An excellent account of this was written in David K. Johnson's Physique Pioneers: The Politics of 1960s Gay Consumer Culture.

April 1956

The April 1956 issue of Vim magazine featured the always wonderful Steve Reeves on the cover, looking very much the classic warrior with a mighty sword.  Just the very next year in 1957, hunky Steve went to Italy to play the lead character in Pietro Francisci's film production of Hercules.  The film turned out to become a major box-office success in 1959.  While Steve had worked in Hollywood prior to this film, it was the main event that established his name (and that body and face) with millions of fans for years to come, including many gay men.

Gable Paul Boudreaux

He may have been an Iron Man from the neck down, but that chiseled good looking face and clean-cut haircut would easily have fit into the business-suited world of any city or town in America during the 1960s.  It's reported that the Louisiana native moved to California in 1962, married, worked for an oil company and took some college classes.  Somewhere along the way he discovered Vince Gironda’s gym (not far from the Burbank movie studios) and became friends with some of the star athletes who also exercised there and who shared his interest in fitness and health.   This was when lifting weights and drinking protein powders produced the fluid natural muscles of men, before steroids.

It was very common for straight physique athletes to pose for California photographers and thankfully we have images of this handsome man to continue to enjoy today.  It's reported that Gable posed for the Athletic Model Guild Studios.  That massive body also helped him to win some major Southern California competitions.  That smile no doubt won over man fans.

Helping Hand (II)

Evan Gets a Hand

According to Jason at SpunkWorthy "Evan's hairy ass is a little slice of heaven. I made a point to spread it wide open to play with his fuzzy virgin hole.  During the shoot, there was some fairly obvious sexual tension going on. Evan was a little quiet, but his facial expressions (and the fact that he barely glanced at the porn playing in the background) spoke volumes. I decided to take things up a notch."

More to come!

Howard III

Howard (II)

Don Hawksley, Juwa LaVonce, and Howard Heidtmann

Hunky Howard

Howard Heidtmann (who may have also posed as Ed Heidtmann) was one smooth, lean and muscular man.  It's reported that he was born in 1942 and came in at 5'10" tall and weighed 165 pounds.  Just one look and it's easy to see why he was a favorite Physique Pictorial model during the early 1960s.  But perhaps it was one special photo set that forever made Howard a part of physique royalty--for it featured dark-haired Juwa LaVonce, legendary Don Hawksley, and Heidtmann posing together in straps.  This photo set by AMG remains a classic today.  More Howard tomorrow.

Paul II

Island Studs